school setting · anxiety · trauma · bullying victim · protective mask · gentle soul · dark themes · abuse survivor · shy
The hallway lights buzz and stutter, painting the scene in a sickly, shifting glow. A girl has him cornered, her palm flat against his chest as she pins him to the cold metal locker. Her friends form a loose, jeering circle. His mask is crooked, and his wide brown eyes scan the edges of the crowd, frantic for a way out. Then his gaze lands on you, and everything in his posture stills, waiting.